


Red Hood Reenvisioned

by Reah22



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Tiger Mom Talia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-02-28 17:31:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18761110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reah22/pseuds/Reah22
Summary: What if Jason hadn't revealed himself to his family as the Red Hood? What if he went back to the League with Talia instead of attacking his family? How would the Batfamily be different?OR: an idea I couldn't shake. Y'all might as well be able to read it.





	1. The Beginning

Jason stood staring numbly at the detonator in his hand. He could do it—right now. He could kill the Bat. 

Distantly, he could hear Bruce returning to the Batmobile. Now was his chance. If he didn’t blow the bomb now, he might never get as good of an opportunity. _So why was he hesitating?!_ It could be the chance of a lifetime. No. The chance of a life. He could kill Bruce now, or he could… he could what? What would he do? Where would he go?

“I would kill the Joker.” He whispered to himself. The words rang hollow in his own head, though, and he had to face the truth. He wouldn’t kill the Joker. He couldn’t. He probably never would be able to. At the end of the day, the clown still terrified him; still haunted his nightmares. Jason doubted that the Joker would ever really go away; even if the maniac was dead, the scars, physical and otherwise, that he left on other people wouldn’t leave. Babs would still be crippled. Jason would still be… _whatever_ it was that he had become. And the thousands of his other victims would still be dead.

So why was he any more capable of killing Bruce? Why was incapable of killing his own murderer, but sitting right here ready to murder his only worthwhile father figure?

Because he didn’t care when you died. Because he replaced you immediately after—upgraded the first faulty, ignorant copy of Dick to one that was actually obedient and good. His inner voice reminded him fiercely. 

Still, as he looked down in the scene below him, he still couldn’t bring himself to press the button. No matter what had happened, Bruce was still his father. And what did that mean about him, that he was ready to do this? Had even planned it out?

“Why? Why can’t I do this?”

In the street, Bruce climbed into the Batmobile and drove off. Jason watched him leave, feeling curiously empty. Utterly bereft of emotion. No anger, no happiness, no sadness. Not in a peaceful way; more like his insides had been hollowed out like a pumpkin. He just didn’t care anymore. After all, why bother caring? His only family had moved on. They didn’t need him anymore; they had the Replacement. Jason had nothing.

Suddenly, a hand slid over his shoulder, squeezing gently and pulling him back slightly. Jason glanced down, catching sight of a light brown hand with perfectly manicured nails. Talia.

“Jason. What are you doing?”

He had expected her to stop him. Make him ‘rethink his plan’. Not… not actually sound worried about him. Talia rarely let her voice show any inflection. Whatever she felt about this entire situation must be serious if she was letting it show.

Whether it was her question or merely what her tone implied, Jason finally snapped. Her turned around and leaned into her shoulder, breaking down into harsh, rasping cries. Talia said nothing more, merely held him closer until he was done. 

When he was finally able to pull away, Talia refused to let him drop eye contact. She folded a hand below his chin and forced his head up, meeting his eyes with a small smile. 

“It’s okay, Jason. I told you not to go after your father, but it’s alright. You did the right thing, no harm done. You didn’t kill him, Jason. Now come on. We’re going home.” Talia’s voice was low and soothing, her other hand rubbing circles into his shoulder.

It was times like this that Jason was most forcibly reminded that Talia was a mother. She knew exactly what to say to calm him down, to make him relax. So he said nothing, merely nodding and following Talia as she led him away from the street—away from Gotham. Away from his once-family. Away from everything he had ever known… and somehow, he was okay with it. Was okay with leaving everything behind.

Maybe he came back to life for a reason. Maybe he just wanted to know why.

~~*~~

Talia had known the second Jason had left the League’s compound. She could have stopped him then—but she knew how Bats worked. He only would have become more stubborn. He had to test her rules himself; had to realize that she only put limits on him because she cared (and when did that happen? When did this boy begin to mean so much to her?). So she let him make his feeble attempt on Bruce’s life. The entire time she watched from the shadows, ready to step in at a moment’s notice. But she didn’t have to. Jason couldn’t go through with his plan. He couldn’t kill his father. And so, in an entirely spur-of-the-moment decision, Talia revealed herself to him and took him back to Nanda Parbat. 

She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t that big of a deal. That it wouldn’t change much. But she knew better. Ra’s would see it as her final rebellion. Her last break away from him. Damian was one thing; he was her son. Jason wasn’t. He was a charity case that Talia, in all honesty, didn’t want to get rid of. And Ra’s wasn’t going to be happy about any of it. 

Still. Talia would stand her ground about Jason. Her beloved was clearly toxic, and she’d be damned if she was going to let any of her boys anywhere near him. So she guided Jason carefully to her plane and took off, away from Gotham and all of the city’s poisonous, menacing ways.

Her boys. She wasn’t sure when, exactly, Jason had become hers, but he was. Just as surely as Damian was. Her father would say she was growing soft--but maybe, just maybe, Talia didn’t want to be exactly like her father anymore. She was making herself into someone she wanted to be. And if that someone was slightly kinder and more compassionate, then that was her decision. This was her own life, her own family. 

She didn’t need Bruce or her father anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this a day early because I'm going to be _crazy_ busy tomorrow. Also, I fixed the Archive warnings; no *real* major character death? I must have clicked it by mistake. Sorry! ANYWAYS, and without further ado...

**Infinity Island  
Three Years Later**

Damian lay on the sandy floor of the sparring ring for a second, trying to catch his breath. Across the ring, Jason stood slightly hunched over and panting slightly. He wasn’t as tired as Damian, and that did nothing to sooth the boy’s already wounded pride.

Their instructor rapped sharply against the wooden rail hemming them in. 

“Again. Jason, keep up your guard. You have the advantage in bulk and muscle mass; use it. Damian, you are slim and agile--much more so than your brother. Use it against him.”

Jason sighed deeply, dropping down into a fighting stance for seemingly the hundredth time that day. Damian groaned and pushed himself up. He liked to fight; but he liked to win more, and Jason far outmatched him. Still, he wasn’t going to let his older brother know that he knew. That was practically asking to be teased.

“Prepare to be destroyed, Jason. I’m going to win this time.” He catcalled.

Jason just grinned-the tyrant. The two boys rushed each other and began grappling, trying to throw the other down onto the floor. 

Talia watched from the doorway as her sons practiced. The instructor caught her eye, inclining his head and turning his attention back to his students. There had been at least three opportunities for Jason to beat his brother and win the match, but he had passed them up every time, instead choosing to pick the simplest moves. Damian seemed to be flagging, and Talia considered cutting their training time short today. They would appreciate it, and if she was entirely honest with herself, Talia wanted some time with them today.

“Alright, you two. That’s enough for now. It won’t kill you to take a break.”

Her sons paused their battle to look over at her, Jason grinning mischievously. 

“I know, Mother. I’d be the expert on that.” Jason sniped over, immediately ducking as if expecting Talia to throw something at him for his constant reminders of his death.

They might be her sons, but Talia supposed she could still want to hit them.

“Jason. That’s hardly appropriate, let alone funny.” She had lost track of the number of times she’d had to reprimand him for the tasteless death jokes. It didn’t help that Damian was beginning to acquire a taste for the flat humor.  
Why did she think two were a good idea again?

“Mother. What are we doing?” Damian eagerly jumped down from the ring, not hesitating in the slightest to turn his back on Jason. For his part, the elder boy quickly overtook him and bodily picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder.

“ _Hey!_ Jason! Put me down this instant! I am neither a child nor a rag doll!”

“I’d beg to differ. Also, you should know better than to turn your back on your enemies. That’s how you get hurt, crazy.”

“I’m not crazy. And I didn’t turn my back on an enemy.”

“Oh really? Then what am I?”

“You’re my brother. You wouldn’t kill me. Besides, like you’d hurt a fly.”

Jason snorted and fake dropped Damian, making the boy shriek and cling to his arm tighter while laughing. “I’ve hurt a lot more than a fly, little bat.”

“Maybe. But only because a fly has done nothing wrong.” 

Jason laughed, loud and unworried, and Talia’s heart clenched. For a moment, she almost wished that she had a camera so that she could freeze this moment in time forever. Her family, happy and carefree and unguarded. It was a bittersweet illusion. And while they might not be able to make it last, they could make the most of it when it was here.

“Alright, you two. Jason, stop torturing Damian. How do you two feel about a movie night?”

Both of the boys instantly snapped to attention, peering at Talia worriedly. She didn’t blame them. Movies weren’t common in the League, much less an everyday occurrence, and as such were typically reserved for momentous occasions. Like funerals of important people or new strides forward in the League’s goal.

Talia smiled at them, trying to set them at ease. “No, nothing like that. I just thought it would be nice tonight. Do something out of the ordinary. Unless I read you wrong and you’d like to continue sparring?”

The two practically tripped over each other trying to run to the movie room. 

“And for the love of all you hold dear, take a shower first!” Talia yelled after them, sighing as she looked at the sparring ring’s scuffed sand. The instructor stood at attention still, and she quietly dismissed the man as she herself turned to leave. Knowing her boys, they were probably taking the quickest showers of their lives before bolting to the darkened theater. 

Strangely enough, she couldn’t even find it in herself to be annoyed. Her father would say that motherhood was making her weaker; quite to the contrary, it gave her more of a reason to fight. Talia would kill for either Damian or Jason. She knew she wouldn’t even think twice to take a life if she thought either of her sons were in danger. And if Ra’s couldn’t see that, then he must truly be going senile.

Talia shook her thoughts away irritably and set off after her children. Ra’s didn’t matter right now; she could relax and have fun with her family for a night. After all, one could argue that they all deserved it. She wanted to give Jason and Damian the best chance to survive in the harsh world they lived in.Even if that chance was one she herself disliked. 

All that mattered was making sure her sons were safe. No less, and certainly as much more as she could give. Even Ra’s couldn’t live forever, and soon he would die for good. Since Talia was the eldest, she would inherit the League. Jason would take over after her. She had decided this ever since he came back from his training with the All Caste. He was now a powerful contender on his own right, and certainly wouldn’t be a ruler to be trifled with. Of course, Talia wasn’t planning on having Jason worry about leading the League for a long time. But it was always best to be prepared; a few backup contingencies never hurt anyone. Damian… 

The plans for Damian’s future were still sketchy. As much as Talia and Jason both adored him, they had to admit that he had a tendency to make things… complicated. He believed that he was entitled to certain things in life, and insisted upon a strict order. Ra’s influence was clear as day. Luckily, Jason had been brought in by Talia early enough in his childhood that Damian didn’t know a time without his older brother. She wasn’t even sure if he knew Jason was adopted by both her and Bruce, and didn’t share a strand of DNA with Damian. She hoped that if he didn’t know, learning it wouldn’t change his opinion towards Jason. He had proven his place among them many times over. Yes; Damian’s future was definitely still in the air. But she did know that she wanted to get him out of the League’s influence. Still, Talia feared what her father would do in retaliation. 

“Mother? What are you thinking about?” 

Talia started and looked down, realizing that she had become lost in thought long enough for Jason and Damian to both finish cleaning up. The latter was looking up at her curiously, slightly quirking an eyebrow. Talia recognized the gesture as one he had picked up from Jason.

“Nothing much, habibi. Let’s go and set up the movie.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions in the League are running high, and Talia needs Damian to be in a safer place until it's all under control again. Just how long that will take, nobody knows...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with how this flows, but I guess I can always blame it on Damian's perspective, right? Not a whole lot of Jason here either, but Dami deserves the attention. And I've been terrible about updating character tags, sorry ):

Damian stared in dismay at his mother. 

“You’re sending me away.” 

“Not _away_ , Damian. To your father.”

Damian nodded exaggeratedly. “It is as I said. You are sending me away.”

“No. I’m sending you to--why am I having this argument with you again? You’re going to your father’s until such time as your brother and I see fit to bring you home again.” Talia groaned in frustration and looked for her headache medicine. She hadn’t set it down too far away, had she?

“Why? What did I do wrong?” He fought to control his voice, only letting raise a few octaves, when what he really wanted was to scream at the top of his lungs.

“You did nothing wrong, habibi. It’s your grandfather. The Pit has finally corroded his mind to the point where he is no longer in control of himself. I don’t trust him around you; therefore, you will go to your father’s until your aunt and I sort this out.” She pretended not to see her son’s face get slowly angrier and angrier. After she finished informing him, she had to coordinate with her sister; by the end of the day she’d have a huge migraine and very little to show for it.

“What about Jason? Shouldn’t he come with me, if you’re so worried about Grandfather?” _Okay_. That… was not the direction she expected him to take when arguing about leaving. Her son doubtlessly knew that, and was exploiting it to his advantage. She’d be proud of him if her head didn’t hurt so goddamn much.

“Jason is older. And he doesn’t want to… there’s still…” Talia trailed off. She couldn’t find the words to explain her eldest son’s relationship with his father right now, and she didn’t want to waste time trying.

Damian nodded like he understood. “He hasn’t come out to Father and the rest of the Bats yet.”

Okay, Talia was pretty sure that she could have phrased that better with a full-blown migraine. Unless, of course, Damian was simply trying to distract her with bad puns until she agreed to let him stay.

“Enough. End of discussion. You are going to your grandfather’s, and I don’t want to hear any more complaining from you.”

Damian glowered over at the ground, knowing better than to glare at his mother. Talia sighed and pulled him into her side, regretting that she didn’t tell him earlier. She hadn’t wanted to give him enough time to come up with an effective counter-attack or simply hide when the time came. And it might be selfish of her, but she couldn’t really blame herself for wanting more time with her son. 

“Promise me that this isn’t permanent. I can come home, right?”

“Of course, habibi. Always. It’s only until Grandfather is taken care of.” 

Her son relaxed against her side, pressing his face into her shirt. “I shall hold you to that promise, Mother.”

~~*~~

His father’s house was most definitely _different_ than the League, that was apparent. They treated him kindly; though not without suspicion, and Damian didn’t blame them. In fact, he’d be more unsettled if they weren’t wary of him. He was a stranger, and for all he claimed to be Talia and Bruce’s son, that didn’t guarantee trustworthiness. 

What really got him, however, was Robin. From what little he knew of his brother’s life before, Robin was important to him. Important enough that he had trusted Father to keep him safe. Damian had seen how that turned out; how Jason refused to go anywhere near Gotham or let his old family know that he was alive. And what did they do? They had replaced him, as if he had never mattered. And to add insult to injury, the maniacal clown that had killed him was still alive. Not only alive, but still able to get loose and hurt people. Despite his brother’s warnings ( _‘Don’t kill while you’re there, Dami. They won’t understand, won’t accept it. This is your chance to know your father. Make sure you don’t blow it just to take out a bad guy.’_ ), Damian was sure that if he got his chance at the murderer, he would take it. Destroying his chance with his father or not. Jason was already family-he didn’t know Father like he knew Jason. And he also knew how often his brother’s sleep was plagued with nightmares. If nothing else, the villain would claim no more victims. 

The clown didn’t only leave marks on his brother either. The more time Damian spent around his father’s family, the more he saw just how beaten down they were as well. And while the Joker wasn’t the only one responsible for the damage, he accounted for a surprisingly high amount. The first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, was crippled, forced to remain in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. The third Robin--the Replacement--had suffered through intense torture at his hands. His father himself was devoted almost obsessively to bringing down the Joker. And even the butler seemed to shutter down when his name was mentioned; though Damian had suspicions as to what the butler was actually flinching at, the Joker or the reminder of the young boy they had lost at his hands. Damian didn’t understand why they didn’t just rid themselves of him permanently. For all of their no-killing talk, they couldn’t actually think that all of the crooks they beat up survived all of those head wounds, did they? If that was the case, then they were far more foolish than Damian realized.

Still, as Jason had pointed out to him before, they were family, and as such Damian had a duty to at least try to get to know them. Even if the entire time he was just hoping that the whole business with his grandfather was finished quickly. As much as his mother and Jason reminded him that he needed to know both sides of his family, he much preferred it at the League then here.

Just take his ‘welcoming’, for example. 

~~*~~

Damian stepped out of the small private plane with no shortage of hesitation. His mother’s note was clenched tightly in his hand, and he looked out nervously to the gathering of people before him. While Damian was no stranger to crowds--the League was hardly small--his close family pretty much consisted of him, Talia, and Jason. To a lesser extent was Grandfather and Aunt Nyssa. The thought that his father lived with so many people, was close with them all, was daunting. Not for the first time, he wished Jason had come with him. If nothing else he could at least serve as a confidant. But just as his mother had drilled into his head, first impressions were important, and so he held his head high and didn’t let any of the fear he felt show in his face. 

“Are you Damian?” The first one to speak wasn’t his father, but rather the man standing next to him. He seemed to be of average height, with wavy black hair and a tanner complexion than most of the people standing before him. _Grayson, then_. Jason never talked much about his father in general, but he talked even less about the first Robin. Damian didn’t know why, but the man looked friendly enough, and his mother wouldn’t send him somewhere he would be in danger, right? 

“Yes, that is me. You are Richard Grayson, correct?” Damian didn’t understand why Grayson seemed to be smiling at him. 

“Yup! This is Tim, Cass, Steph, and Bruce-your father.” Damian nodded to each person politely as Grayson pointed them out. If his countenance to Drake-Tim-was a little more frigid then the rest, well, he had a reason. The people didn’t seem to notice, nodding eagerly to greet him. All with the exception of his father, whose expression didn’t change at all as he bent his head down to look at Damian. Damian refused to be intimidated, craning his head up to meet his gaze steadily. The overall picture reminded him strongly of Jason when he was trying to tell if Damian was lying or not. Now he knew where he had picked it up from. The realization stung, and he pushed it away, focusing instead on the situation around him.

His father didn’t let up on the look for what seemed like eons, though Damian knew that it was actually closer to a minute. Finally, he stepped backwards, allowing Damian to come forward.

“Mother sent me here because it is no longer safe for me among the League. She wishes for me to remain here until she has neutralized the threat.” Belatedly, Damian remembered the letter he clutched in his hand. He thrust it out at them. “She wrote a note to you explaining it better.” 

His father stepped forward to take the note, but didn’t bother looking at it before turning and walking away. He was heading towards the house at the back, Damian realized. The rest of the family turned to follow him, but Damian paused for a moment, looking back towards the League plane behind him. He hadn’t brought much with him-all that he had brought with him fit within the bag on his back. But the plane was already powering up and readying itself to head back to the League base. 

“Damian! Are you coming?” One of his father’s people called out behind him. Stephanie, he thought. 

Instead of replying, he simply turned and jogged off after them. It wasn’t for forever. Just until his mother, aunt, and brother subdued the League and called for him back. 

And they would. He _knew_ they would. So why was he feeling so trepidatious? 

~~*~~

It had been several weeks since Damian came to live with his father. In all that time, he hadn’t had contact with his mother or brother once.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Nyssa! So my Nyssa is a little bit different from the Arrow's version of her. She fought with her father and left not too long after Talia, but still harbors a little bit of resentment towards her. Not gonna lie, this has been my favorite chapter to write so far.

The struggle back at the League was turning out much more of a disaster than Talia had expected. At least, that’s what Jason thought--the woman herself had only become more and more tight-lipped as time stretched on. They hadn’t contacted Damian either, fearful of tipping Ra’s off to his location. Admittedly, Bruce’s house wasn’t exactly the best hiding spot, but Talia had argued for hiding him in plain sight. And Jason wasn’t about to let his own personal doubts interfere when it came to his little brother’s safety. And it was only supposed to be for a few weeks. 

The situation had been deteriorating wildly. Ra’s was growing old, even with the help of the Lazarus Pit, and both Talia and Nyssa were ready to step in and take their rightful places in the League. The Pit rage was also becoming more apparent; even with the iron control the man usually exerted over his temper, he was notably more prone to fits of rage and acting hastily. Granted, he wasn’t as bad as Jason had been (and still was occasionally). However, the anger made him unpredictable, posing a threat to Damian and Jason alike. It almost made Jason wish for the days when Ra’s didn’t view him as a worthy heir because he was adopted. Jason’s skills had proved him wrong too many times for the Demon’s Head to continue ignoring and underestimating him. Still, he doubted that the Demon’s Head would ever consider him a true heir. All the better to get Dami out of the way. 

Speaking of Talia’s ‘plan’, Jason still didn’t have the faintest clue of what she was going to attempt. She insisted that it was because they were unsure of who was on their side and who was with Ra’s, but Jason had a feeling it was more of a precaution to make sure he wasn’t going to attempt more than she told him to do and get in over his head. Which, okay, Talia was really protective over who she considered her family. But it would hardly hurt her to tell him a little bit more, right? And Nyssa knew the entire plan. At least, he thought she did. 

“Jason? It’s the middle of the night. What are you doing still up?” Nyssa’s voice shocked Jason out of his thoughts, though he was careful to not let it show. He had picked an out of the way spot in the courtyard gardens for a reason, dammit. Spoiler alert: being interrupted wasn’t it. 

“Just thinking.”He answered carefully. Talia might say that her sister could be trusted, but Jason would be damned if he was ever going to trust somebody purely on the basis that ‘they were family’. He’d been let down by enough people who claimed to care about him for him to just blindly trust.

Much to his surprise, Nyssa let it go, sitting down next to him companionably. This time, he wasn’t quick enough to hide his feelings, and she caught sight of Jason’s flash of discomfort. 

“Hey, kid, it’s okay. I don’t bite. And it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about yourself, or what you’re thinking about. I know I’m a new figure; new player in the game, right? And from what Tal’s has said about you, you’ve been hurt pretty bad in the past by your father. I understand, you know? I won’t force you to speak.” Nyssa looked away as she was speaking, only turning her head after she was done speaking to look at him. Jason was glad for the small gesture, insignificant as it might seem. Maybe this ‘aunt’ wasn’t going to be as bad as he had feared.

“So how much has Mother told you about me?” Nyssa snorted, eyes glittering with amusement. 

 

“Simultaneously everything and nothing at all. I know when your little brother started talking, how well you two have mastered fighting, how good Damian is at drawing, your book affinity; and yet this is the first time Talia is letting me meet my nephew. And it’s only one. I’m hurt; I really am.” Nyssa’s voice, while sarcastic, held a certain quality that made Jason think she wasn’t entirely joking. And her speaking was nowhere near as polished as Talia’s, maybe as a result of living away from the League; or possibly trying to distance herself from her heritage. 

“Well, what do you want to know?” Jason found himself not wanting her to leave quite yet. Of course, he reasoned, his thoughts became too heavy too fast, and having somebody else with him helped. Usually he would sit with Damian or Talia, but Dami was away and Talia was probably busy. Nyssa was pretty nice, though, and he could always refuse to answer the question. If things went wrong he could probably (maybe) hold his own long enough to alert the guards.

Nyssa grinned at him, teasing evident in her posture and expression. “Well, for starters, when exactly _did_ Tal’s fling with Batman start? Because you seem older than I’d expect.” 

Jason stuttered, staring at her openly. “What?”

She had to be teasing him, right? There was no way she actually thought he was Bruce and Talia’s child. 

“Your parents, child. When, exactly, did they meet?”

Jason couldn’t help himself. Suddenly the entire idea seemed absolutely hilarious to him, and he was chuckling. Then laughing. Then howling, desperately trying to muffle himself before he could wake anyone else up. Nyssa watched, slightly bemused, as Jason struggled to control himself. Slowly his wheezing stopped, and he was able to straighten up and look Nyssa in the eye. 

“I am not Talia and Bruce’s son. I mean, technically, well… I’m their adopted son. But not, like, adopted together. More like Bruce adopted me, and then I got killed, and Talia adopted me.” 

The entire explanation only seemed to be confusing Nyssa more. Jason felt sorry for her as she tried to make sense of Jason’s not-quite-explanation.

“Wait. So he’s not your father, but he is?”

“Well, yes, but I’m adopted?”

“Then he is your father. You mean simply that they didn’t adopt you at the same time.”

Jason was shaking his head even before she had finished her sentence. “He’s not my father. Not anymore.”

Nyssa grinned again, though she seemed more bitter than humored this time. “It’s not that simple, though, is it Jason? Our parents might do terrible things, or fail us spectacularly, but they are always our parents. And I’m not talking about biologically. Blood doesn’t mean shit when it comes to familial bonds. I mean the people that raise you, teach you be better than they are. He’ll always be your father, Jason. Believe me, child, I know.”

Nyssa’s words sobered Jason, and he thought back to the moment right before he died. How Sheila had sold him out to the Joker. And then how Bruce took him in--even when he didn’t have to. How Talia had stopped him from destroying himself and given him a new purpose.

“Yeah. I know, too.” He found himself saying. Nyssa nodded importantly, drawing her knees up to her chest as she settled herself more comfortably. 

“So. Tell me a little bit more about this little brother of yours.” Jason perked up again and eagerly launched himself into story after story of his little brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it starts picking up next chapter! I just wanted to show a little bit more of Nyssa, and honestly... she's pretty fun to write.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dami settling in with the Batfam! Mostly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week kicked my butt and I almost didn't get this done on time. There's probably a ridiculous amount of mistakes in here, so just let me know.

Talia stared at the two faces before her, determination etching their features. 

“This is quite possibly the riskiest plan I have. But it has the best chance of paying off quickly. If we wait too long, then Ra’s may very well begin to suspect something. He’s already on edge enough to be twitchy--he’s ordered three executions already this month. We have to strike fast, or risk discovery. Any questions?”

Nyssa and Jason nodded firmly, already squaring up and checking their weapons. 

“Good. However, like I have stated before, it is most definitely dangerous. You both must promise you’ll be careful. Take no unnecessary detours; do not deviate from the plan. Understood?” 

Her son and sister nodded again, the slightest hint of exasperation playing across their faces. 

“Yes. Understood, Mother.”

“Don’t worry, Tals. Trust us.”

Talia sighed deeply before forcing a small smile. “I do trust you. I just don’t want you getting hurt--and that means _no unnecessary risks_.”

Jason and Nyssa both snorted in unison, startling each other and grinning slightly. Talia raised an eyebrow, but didn’t otherwise comment. They would have time afterwards to tease each other.

She hoped.

~~*~~

Damian didn’t know what to make of his father’s people. They were… certainly different from the League, yet at the same time, similar. 

There was Grayson, the one who had greeted him when he got off the plane. At first impression he seemed like a happy, cheerful person, but Damian never trusted first impressions. In the few of Jason’s stories that he had been mentioned in, he had seemed angry. Had fought with Bruce. But Jason’s voice sounded wistful whenever he mentioned him, so it couldn’t have been all that bad. And he was taking a genuine interest in Damian. 

The one who interested Damian the most was Barbara Gordon. She was the one he had heard the most about--Talia viewed her as a worthy opponent, and Jason seemed fond of her. She was a little leery of him, so he still wasn’t quite positive of her interests and motives, but apparently very protective of Cassandra.

Damian was particularly wary of Cass--the One Who is All. He had heard of her; even more damning, he knew Jason had met her. Had trained with her a few times under Shiva. And he knew that she was certainly smart enough to connect the dots between Jason and the Robin memorial down in the cave (Damian still wasn’t able to look at it directly. It was sickening.). The only question was if she would. And if she did, would she tell his father? He didn’t have any good answers to his questions. Until he knew, it was better off to keep his distance.

Stephanie Brown. The current Batgirl. Damian… Damian still wasn’t quite sure what to think about her. She was brave, yes, but most of the team tended to keep her at arm’s length, including Grayson. The only ones who accepted her completely were Cass and Drake--and that was hardly glowing recommendation in Damian’s book.

Which led him to Drake. The one who thought that he could replace his older brother. The _imposter_. Jason might say that he was over it, over being replaced, but Damian knew better. He knew how quickly his brother changed the topic when it came to their father and his team. Jason might be above doing anything about it--but Damian was not. Drake was, if you will, a cuckoo in the nest. He couldn’t be trusted. 

And it all tied back to his father. Every single one of these people had been chosen by his father to accompany them, had been selected from millions of other people in the world. His father saw something in them that stood out, that proved to him that they were worthy of carrying the family name. 

All of them except for Damian. He might be the blood son, but the rest of them were the chosen children. They were there because his father wanted them to be. Damian was there because his mother couldn’t find any other babysitters.

“Damian? What’re you doing up here?” Grayson’s voice floated up to Damian, and he froze. He had searched for a spot away from his father’s people for a reason! Nobody was supposed to come up in the attic. That was why he had come _here_ to wait for his mother to contact him, really!

Well, apparently he had been mistaken. “Nothing, Grayson. Just thinking.” He guiltily shoved the League communicator under his leg. It was doubtful if Grayson would take it from him, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

Grayson hummed questioningly as he sat down besides Damian. “Thinking about what?”

“Nothing important.”

“Nonsense, Dami. You can talk to me, you know.” 

Damian looked up to meet Grayson’s earnest blue eyes. Much to his surprise, there were traces of sadness and… _guilt_ in his eyes. 

Huh. It appeared that there were many more layers to Grayson than Damian had originally thought. Weirdly enough, the thought didn’t unsettle him--rather, it comforted him. His father’s first son had seemed perfect; impossible to live up to, let alone be better than. Knowing that he harbored negative feelings as well was… not comforting, exactly, but it gave him hope. Hope that maybe his father would accept him as well. 

“It’s my mother.” Damian admitted quietly. He didn’t miss Grayson’s split second tense, and he instantly wondered if he was doing the right thing by telling him. What if--

“What about your mother?” Grayson’s voice was calm and warm, and when Damian looked at his posture again, it was loose and relaxed. 

It put Damian on edge again, but he didn’t show it. “Nobody has contacted me yet. J-- _they_ promised me that they would call today.” Well, Jason had said they would try. Close enough.

Thankfully, Dick didn’t press Damian for any more information about his slip. Damian knew that he had noticed, though. 

“I’m sure they’ll call soon, Dami. Things might be getting a little hectic there now, is all. B mentioned something about how your mother is trying to overthrow Ra’s?”

Damian nodded. He was, quite honestly, somewhat apathetic about his mother and brothers’ plan. He had never really known his grandfather; his mother had always been rather leery of the Demon’s Head getting to know either of her sons. 

“Well, I’m sure they must be pretty busy then, Damian. Why don’t you come down and join the rest of the family? We’re going to do a movie night, since patrol’s been pretty slow lately.”

Damian froze incredulously, staring at Grayson. _The rest of the family._

“Dami? You okay?” 

Damian nodded mutely, unsure of how to reply. So instead of speaking he followed Grayson down the stairs (and how had he not noticed exactly how many stairs there were when he had come up here in the first place?) and to the living room on the first floor. Almost all of the other people were there, sitting and talking and laughing. Nobody had their guard up; there was no weapons in sight. It was an unfamiliar concept for Damian; even in his mothers’ private quarters she kept weapons on her. It was a matter of principle, really. You couldn’t just trust blindly in the League; not only was there the obvious threat of traitors, but it was also possible that his brother or mother might snap at any minute. Pit madness was a very real threat in his family, and something he had grown up learning how to deal with.

But evidently, his father’s people shared no such compunctions. Even with him.

“Damian! Come on down; we’re trying to decide which movie to watch first. Why don’t you vote?” Brown called out cheerfully. Damian didn’t hesitate at all this time to walk into the room and look over their choices. The last time he had watched a movie was with Talia and Jason back at the League; it had been a rare treat then. 

Here, though, they acted like it was an everyday occurrence. As Damian looked through their movies, Grayson seemed to take great delight in pinning Drake down and sitting on him until the younger boy was forced to yield. Brown laughed loudly from where she was standing by Damian’s side, occasionally offering input on the movies set out. 

It was… strangely comfortable. Damian found himself relaxing in the unquestioning acceptance. He couldn’t enjoy it entirely, though. At the back of his mind, a question made itself known incessantly. 

_If everything is so good here, why won’t Jason come back?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY PRIDE MONTH TO ALL THE LGBT+ READERS!!!
> 
> Next chapter: Bruce is an asshole and Talia's plan is also terrible! 
> 
> Happy Pride!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason and Nyssa _really_ should have been listening to Talia. 
> 
> Oh, and I put Dami through a *little* bit of emotional wringer (it's not that bad)

Talia’s plan was shit. 

Now, Jason wasn’t being dramatic (much). He was being a realist. And realistically, Talia’s plan was shit. It was too complicated, too intricate to ever actually work. 

So he and Nyssa improvised. They kept the basics of Talia’s plan, but removed all of the frills and complications. After all, Ra’s was just a man at the end of the day, right? Yes, he was a man that had been alive for centuries and had seen countless more battles than both Nyssa and Jason combined, but maybe that could work in their favor. As Nyssa pointed out, he would be expecting something huge to take him out. Not anything subtle and seemingly minor. And he certainly wouldn’t be expecting that from Talia or Nyssa. 

So they planned quietly with each other, knowing Talia would prefer ceremony and tradition. She would no doubt be upset when she found out that they moved without her; although if she honestly thought that Jason and Nyssa wouldn’t both take things into their own hands then she was a bigger fool than her father.

Besides, it wouldn’t take long for her to find out. They moved tonight.

~~*~~

Talia stared in disbelief at the sight that greeted her in the morning. Down in the courtyard, her father stood imposingly on the top of the steps. Below him on the cobbles, her son and sister knelt, chains encircling their wrists and ankles and guards standing watch over them. Blood stained their clothes, and they both sported black eyes. When Jason saw her, he smiled bloodily and cheekily waved as much as he was able. Nyssa didn’t move her glare from her father. 

Talia felt sickened. _They were supposed to wait…_

“Talia. Do you know the meaning of this?” Ra’s asking, looking down at her. She was barely an inch smaller than him; he shouldn’t be able to look down on her anymore. 

“What happened?” Her throat felt dry, and her voice sounded small. She hated it; she was supposed to be _strong_. 

“They took out all of my guards last night, and doubtlessly would have taken me down as well had I not been aware of your paltry assassinatin plans.”

Talia felt her blood turn to ice, even as she didn’t show it. “I do not know what you’re talking about, Father.”

 _“Like hell you don’t!”_ Ra’s roared suddenly, and the display of emotion from him was so sudden and unexpected that everyone in the room flinched back. Talia’s eyes widened, and she stepped back involuntarily. _He really has gone mad_. For the first time in years, she truly knew fear.

With shaking fingers, she reached for the communicator she had hidden in her sleeve. Her eyes never left Ra’s as she hit the speed dial. 

Sometimes, even assassins need backup. 

~~*~~

Damian was sitting down for dinner, a mere day after the movie night, when the League communicator in his pocket began ringing. Ignoring Pennyworth’s warning glances (honestly, what possessed his brother to speak so highly of the help?), he immediately pulled it out and answered it. 

There was no voice on the other end of the line. Instead, there was just background noise, static and confusion. It went on for several minutes before a familiar voice spoke. 

“Damian. The League situation--it’s not working out. We need backup ASAP. Nyssa and Jason are buying me some time right now, but it’s not going to last. You need to hurry, Dames. And bring the Bats, too. He’s--we can’t beat him.” Talia’s voice was hushed, but the comm was on speaker. It echoed over the dinner table. “And be _careful_ , habibi. I will not allow any more tragic deaths in this family.”

She hung up with a click that echoed around the table. 

His father’s face had hardened as Talia continued her plea for Dami’s help. By the time she had finished, he appeared to be made of stone.

“What is the meaning of this, Damian?” _Damian. Always Damian with his father. With Mother he was also habibi, even if he shared that nickname with Jason. With his elder brother it was Dames. Even with the team here he was Dami_. 

He was careful not to say any of that out loud, though. Never admit weakness; he already _had_ a family, anyways. He had no right to be wanting another one. 

“My mother appears to need our help, Father. It is possible that she may have underestimated Grandfather.”

Father’s eyes bored into him, cold and calculating. “You say that like you think it’s actually something else.”

 _No use in lying now. He will know, and refuse to help_. “Yes. I suspect that it is actually my brother.”

“Oh, yes, Dami’s elusive brother. How could we forget about him?” Drake rolled his eyes sarcastically as he got up from the table, beckoning for Brown and Cassandra to follow him. Damian watched in confusion.

Confusion that was only doubled when Drake turned around to face him. “Are you coming, Dami? The League isn’t going to wait forever.”

Damian practically sprang out of his chair in excitement, remembering to control himself just in time. “Yes! Yes, I’m coming, Drake.”

“Just wait one minute. I still don’t have all the answers, and I’m not exactly comfortable with just letting two of my sons galavant off to Nanda Parbat just because your mother can’t handle a deranged lunatic!”

“Much like you have failed to handle the Joker?” 

Damian was horrified the second the words left his tongue, but it was too late now. He had to stand his ground if he wanted respect; a lesson taught to him many times over by both the League, his mother, and his brother. 

However, this might be a battle he didn’t particularly want. Everyone at the table froze, staring at Damian with various expressions ranging from horror to anger to shock. _He’d crossed the line now_.

“That was uncalled for, Damian. And I think--”

“Bruce. Do you think that maybe you should take a step back and rethink this whole thing? Damian just wants to help his mother.” Grayson stood up too, facing his father. “You have just as many facts as he does right now. Is it really fair to continue trying to interrogate him?”

Bruce hesitated, and Grayson seemed to sense the chink in his armor. He pressed just a little bit farther. “Give him a _chance_ , Bruce. That’s all the kid needs. You’ve given all of us millions of opportunities to prove ourselves; let Dami have this chance to prove himself to you and to his mother.”

His father said nothing, but the tenseness of his gaze and shoulders seemed to ease. 

“Enough hesitating. We must _act_.” 

Cass spoke up the second Bruce relaxed, spurring them all into action. There was a flurry of movement, and Damian found himself brought up in the flow of people. They headed down to the Batcave, dinner laying forgotten behind them. 

~~*~~

They moved with the fluency with a well-oiled machine, and within no time Damian found himself seated on the Batplane (and was this dedication to theme really necessary?) and well on the way to Nanda Parbat. His father’s people milled around him, dressed in a stunning variety of bright colors and dark, muted grays and blacks. How half of them ever managed to be stealthy was beyond him, but he welcomed the distraction. Anything was better than worrying about the situation they were heading into.

“Damian? Can you come over here?” His father called him gruffly, and Damian didn’t dare to hesitate.

“What is it, Father?” 

Wordlessly, he handed something over to him; bright Robin red and folded black fabric. 

“It’s… you can’t fight in what you’re wearing now. You’ll get hurt. That’s an old Robin suit; it’s a little more reinforced than street clothes. Tim was a little bigger than you when he started out, but I found something that might fit.”

He enfolded it to reveal an older style of suit. One he recognized from the rare pictures of his brother’s Robin days. A black cape was folded beneath it.

“Thank you.” He whispered lowly, unable to meet his father’s eyes. They were obviously still mourning Jason, and he was unsure of how to tell them that the son and brother they were missing was actually alive. Was going to be right where the plane landed, in fact. After all, how does one tell their father that the son they had been mourning for four years wasn’t actually dead? 

Damian spent the rest of the plane ride turning the idea over in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy... so I was going to post this and the next chapter together, but I have a million different things to do this week, so I figured I'd leave myself a buffer. Next week: the Batfamily/Jason showdown we've all been waiting for (or is it...?)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan, and Jason is absolutely positive it's Talia's fault. It was _her_ plan that got them in this mess in the first place anyways, right?
> 
> (He's wrong and Talia should say it)
> 
> Oh, and Tim and Damian find someone unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... I may have mentioned this before, but. Nyssa and Jason threatened to take over this entire story, so I have a (ridiculously large) document that is literally nothing but Nyssa and Jason shenanigans. lmk if anyone's interested, because I'll post it. (there's a wonderful total of three works in the Nyssa & Jason tag, and I may have accidentally gotten myself hooked on a rare pair, platonic edition. (I always find myself in this position. It's a talent))
> 
> ANYWAYS. Happy reading. And please don't kill me after you finish this.

The scene of the courtyard was absolutely chaotic by the time that the Batplane touched down. Nyssa and Talia were facing down Ra’s together in the center of the cobbled area, fighting like a violently efficient machine. Guards fought amongst each other along the fringes. Talia’s people against Ra’s, Bruce assumed. All in all it seemed difficult but certainly not impossible--certainly not for someone of Talia’s caliber. There had to be another element involved.

Then Ra’s bodily flung Nyssa across the entire square as if she was a ragdoll. She hit one of the ornate posts ringing the enclosure and crumpled at it’s base, unmoving. _He’s a lot stronger than he lets on_. Still, Talia had fought much stronger opponents before. So what made Ra’s different?

Bruce didn’t deliberate any more. Bringing the Batwing in, he skimmed the battle raging below, landing in a clear(ish) space slightly behind Talia and Ra’s fight. Behind him, his family stood up, ready for battle. Dick pulled out his escrima sticks and charged them up, while Tim drew his bo. Steph and Cass readied batarangs on either side of the Batwing door, preparing to fire the second it opened. Beside Dick, Damian was trembling with excitement, cracking his knuckles and glaring at the closed door as if it was the source of all of his problems. 

“Alright, team. Fight smart and stay _safe_ , and if at any point any of you are injured return to the Batwing at once. Am I clear?”

He waited for all of them to nod before giving Steph the signal. At once she opened the door with a flourish, immediately covering their backs with Cass. Damian didn’t hesitate to head straight for his mother, stopping in his tracks when Dick grabbed his hood. 

“Dami, _no!_ Didn’t you see what Ra’s did to Nyssa? You have to stay back, okay? Let me and Batgirl handle the big fight. Got it?”

Damian might have to listen to team leaders, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Until his mother or brother told him anything, he was to listen to his father. And in lieu of his father, he had to listen to his father’s people.

“Yes, Richard. I… ‘have it’.”

Grayson nodded shortly before plunging off into the crowd, Cassandra tailing his steps like an ominous shadow. Damian didn’t waste any time watching them, though.

He had to find his brother.

~~*~~

Jason was crumpled in the shadow of one of the pillars, watching the fight with his heart in his mouth. He and Nyssa had burst out of the chains and taken down the guards watching them when Nyssa had noticed Talia was calling Damian. Together, the two had fought Ra’s as a diversion tactic, drawing his attention away from Talia as she (hopefully) called for backup. Unfortunately, Ra’s didn’t fight alone. From the various apertures and adjoining chambers, dozens of ninja and basic guards had poured out, swamping Nyssa and Jason. The two were good, yes. But even League of Shadows royalty had a breaking point. 

Turns out Jason’s was fighting eight opponents at once while getting stabbed by his adoptive grandfather.

The wound itself wasn’t that bad. Honestly. What really _killed_ him was the sheer numbers. He couldn’t keep up, and found his vision spotting and blacking out periodically. So… kind of the wound then, but whatever. 

Of course, the second Jason had found a secluded spot to dress his wound the god damned Batwing had swept in, like some cruel parody of a promised savior. The man couldn’t come in time when someone was dying, but the second his ex called he packed it up to the next country?

Okay, that was a little harsh. Jason didn’t blame Bruce for his death, he really didn’t. It was the Joker’s fault (a fact that Talia had to drum into his head repetitively. Jason wanting a mother was in _no way_ the reason he had died.). 

His thoughts were rambling now, and Jason could barely focus on the fight in front of him. The crude bandages he had tied his side with were already stained russet, and he watched dully as the color darkened and spread. _Capillary action through the fabric. Makes it look worse than it actually is._ For some reason, the thought amused him. He knew better than to laugh, though. He was injured, not a rookie.

The Batwing’s door swung open, and all of the bats and birds streamed out of the plane. _(Jason remembered asking when Bruce was going to let him drive it. When he was sixteen and had a license, had been Bruce’s reply. How ironic, looking back.)_ And wow. Bruce must have been busy. The family had more than doubled since the last time Jason had been counted among their numbers. There was a new Batgirl--Cain’s daughter, if Jason remembered correctly--and a new Robin, fighting alongside Nightwing and some girl in purple and blue. Something like Rotten? Spoiler? Jason could only see their heads as they struggled through the discordant mess. He couldn’t tell if Damian was with them, and he hoped (rather futily) that he had stayed behind on the plane.

Whatever. Jason had a duty to do. He had taken care of his wound, and he’d be damned if he was just going to let the Bats swoop in and take care of League business. Backup was okay. Choosing how they took care of their particular brand of justice, however, would not fly.

Staggering to his feet, Jason made his way along the side of the plaza to where he had seen his mother and aunt last. The second Jason had crept away from the battle, Talia had swept in like an avenging angel, covering his back just long enough for Jason to get clear. 

After Jason had left to patch himself up, Ra’s had moved the fight out of Jason’s line of sight. Still, it was easy enough for one to find where they were fighting. Even in the midst of civil war, the League operated with a hive mind. Jason just had to pay attention to the body language of the ninja and guards, and they would lead him right to Ra’s and Talia.

Of course, reading body language typically worked better when one’s vision wasn’t blurring out and the subjects in question weren’t focused on fighting. Not to mention, the Bats intruding on the scene like the insufferable meddlers they were. Yes, Talia had called them in as ‘backup’; that didn’t mean Jason had to like it. 

_Wait. Shit. The Bats._ If they recognized him… well, Jason stopped and thought about that for a minute, idly batting away stray shuriken and batarangs. He had gained several feet since his Pit immersion; a far cry from the skinny 4’6” teenager he used to be. Not to mention they thought he was dead. Who the hell would be looking for their dead teenager in their ex’s son?

Someone crashed into Jason’s side, making him rethink the decision to just stop in the middle of a battlefield. Not exactly his smartest move, but if Talia noticed he could always blame it on blood loss (Nyssa was another story altogether). He automatically reached out to steady whoever had slammed into him--a habit he had perfected from Damian constantly running without looking where he was going.

It was just a random League ninja, who immediately started trying to stab his hands. Jason shoved them away in disgust, continuing on his quest to find his mother and aunt. Although, based on how cottony his head was feeling, that might not exactly be the best idea. 

Whatever. Like Talia’s plan was any better. Just look at where _that_ ended them. 

~~*~~

Tim startled as a random ninja fell in front of him out of nowhere. He dealt a swift blow with his bo staff before glancing up to see what had happened. 

A red hooded… ninja?... was pushing their way through the crowd. Tied around their stomach was a bloodstained bandage, and they were stumbling around as if drunk. Still, despite their obvious fatigue, they continued on their way towards where Ra’s, Bruce, Dick, and Talia were battling it out. 

Now, Tim had to admit that his curiosity was piqued. Efficiently taking out the rest of the League members surrounding him, he slipped off to follow the mysterious man towards the boss fight. _Heh_. Boss fight. He’d have to remember that one. 

Whoever that ninja was--and Tim was beginning to have some suspicions, particularly regarding Damian’s oft-mentioned brother--they were fast. And good. Tim didn’t manage to catch up at all, even with the guy’s obvious distress. Or gal. Tim really wasn’t quite sure. Either way, they had vanished the second Tim had reached the boss fight. 

And jeez. Vicious was an understatement. Talia held nothing back, snarling like a rabid animal as she lunged at her father. Dick seemed to be a little concerned, making sure to stay well out of her way while still providing backup for Bruce. Bruce himself fought with the same determination that he usually did; no more and no less. Together, he and Talia were devastating, her attacking with pure brute force and he swooping in to deliver perfectly timed blows.

Ra’s was just as terrifying on his own, though, and Tim almost took a half-step back when he saw the predatory look in the old man’s eyes. They locked eyes even as Ra’s ducked one of Bruce’s blows, and there wasn’t as much of a shred of humanity left in his eyes. For the first time since they arrived, Tim found himself understanding exactly why Talia had called in for backup. Ra’s was holding his own against three of the best fighters Tim knew. 

Out of nowhere, Tim felt himself get shoved to the side for the second time in less than an hour. Ra’s broke eye contact with him, swirling around in a flurry of emerald green robes. 

“Move, Drake!” A small voice commanded. Tim looked down to see Damian brandishing a katana--and just where the hell did he get one in his size anyways?--and storming towards the fray, showing no signs of hesitation or fear. Tim didn’t think twice before reaching out to snag the black cape hanging from the boy’s shoulders.

Damian’s reaction was instantaneous. Within seconds Tim found his hand knocked away and Damian’s sword at his throat. 

“Do not touch me, Drake. If you know what’s good for you, you are going to let me go. Understood?” 

Tim stared the boy down impassively. He wasn’t some pushover, like the demonspawn thought he was. One didn’t get to be Robin by being weak.

“No. Listen, Damian. We can’t just march in there and start fighting. We’ll get in their way.”

“I wasn’t just going to ‘march in there’, Drake! I have a plan!”

Tim raised an eyebrow skeptically. Nevermind the fact that Damian probably couldn’t see it behind his domino--it was the thought that counted. “Oh really? Let’s hear it.”

“I was going to find someone _else_ to 'march in there'.” _Clever sidestep to the rules, but not quite going to fly._

“Would it, by any chance, end up being this ‘brother’ you’ve mentioned?”

“Awww, you’ve talked about me, Dames? I’m touched.” A voice rasped right behind Tim, and both he and Damian jumped. Anyone who managed to get that close to either of them without being noticed _had_ to be good.

Damian grinned widely, an expression Tim hadn’t seen very often. It was made more disturbing by the blood streaked across his face. Of course, Tim doubted he looked any better. Turning around cautiously, he found himself facing…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm a terrible person, yes. 
> 
> sorry not sorry. Also, this was 1928 words just for a cliffhanger. I'm a jerk.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! 
> 
> Before y'all start complaining. I HAVE A VALID EXCUSE FOR MISSING THE PAST TWO UPDATES, OKAY?!
> 
> We were laying up hay last week (and a little into this week... ugh) and I was too tired to write anything. 700 bales. That's a lot of hay--not to mention one of the wagons was _soaked_ and that was a hassle to replace in and of itself.
> 
> And this week I just legitimately didn't realize what day of the week it was. Oops.
> 
> ANYWAYS. Expect a little irregular updates from now on out, bc I have a lot on my plate right now (training, show season, work, etc.) and writing is gonna happen at pretty awkward times. Typos are probably gonna be a thing from now on out. Good news is, we're almost done! (With this one. I still have, like, 39 more WIPS I'm dabbling with. smh)

The very same red-hooded ninja stood behind them, glaring down at Tim and Damian. Up close, Tim could most definitively say that yes, they were a male. And quite tall, too; he had to tip his head back ridiculously far to even meet the guy’s eyes.

“Are you the brother, then?”

The guy shifted nervously, eyes flicking up to watch over Tim’s shoulder. 

“Yeah. Brother’s one way to put it, I guess. You looking for me, Dames?”

Damian sniffed haughtily, as if he had been confronted with something particularly unpleasant. “Yes, I am. You need to go and help Mother, Grayson, and Father against Grandfather. They can’t keep fighting him on their own. Something needs to tip the scales.”

“You make a good point, Dames. But I’m not going anywhere near B or Dick. Try again.”

Damian huffed and glared, reminding Tim overtly of a wet cat. “You are the best option.”

“I have a stab wound in my side and I can barely walk straight.”

“You’ve said yourself that you can’t walk straight anyways. And Aunt Nyssa was knocked out by Grandfather when we came in. She will doubtlessly be very upset about missing everyone take down Grandfather, but my point remains. You have to take down Grandfather.”

Tim stared at the two bickering while the fight raged around them. They dealt with anyone that fell into them quite casually, dealing out lethal blows or knockout punches flawlessly. 

“What if you two stop arguing and we just go in and help already?”

The brothers paused and looked back at Tim, mirroring each other perfectly in terms of mannerisms, if not expressions. Damian looked scornful, while the elder…

_Tim recognized that smile. Still, there was no possible way…_

He shoved the thought out of his mind, focusing on the situation at hand. 

“Come on. Let’s go.”

Without letting himself think any more, Tim turned and ran directly at the small definition of clusterfuck. The sooner they took down Ra’s, the sooner they could get out of this mind trip of a place.

_After all, Jason Todd was dead. Tim had seen the autopsy report on the Batcomputer. That wasn’t exactly something you just walked off._

~~*~~

The second Tim stepped into the small battle-inside-a-battle, he regretted it. He was dodging attacks from both allies and enemies alike; Talia seemed too far gone in her rage to differentiate between friend and foe. Bruce didn’t seem happy at all when he noticed exactly who had joined the mix, but his anger didn’t hold a candle to the expression on Dick’s face. However, the duel was moving far too fast for them to break rhythm now. Still, Dick’s glare boded nothing good for the future.

Damian and his brother fought together almost as if they were a single entity, attacking and blocking attacks in turn seamlessly. In contrast, Tim struggled along on his own, doing his best to stay out of everyone’s way while still dealing some damage of his own.

Geez, team fighting was complicated.

“You doing okay, Robin?” Dick’s voice sounded strained, as he blocked an assassin’s blade from skewering Tim. The various League members fighting in the courtyard were rapidly dispersing, most likely wary of being in the same room as the victor.

“Yeah. Just peachy, Nightwing.” 

“Wonderful. Maneuver seven!”

Tim didn’t even think twice before launching himself over Dick’s back, directly at Ra’s. The older man staggered backwards under the impact, falling right into Talia. The woman didn’t hesitate at all before stabbing Ra’s in the chest, twisting her sword savagely.

Ra’s eyes widened comically, and had the circumstances been any different Tim might have laughed. Instead, he watched as Talia kicked her own father off of the end of her blade. Part of him felt horrified at the sheer violence of it all. Another part of him was just tired. Tim worried that that made him just as bad as the people he and Bruce put away on a nightly basis. 

He’d stress about that later. Right now, he had a job to do.

“B? What do we do?”

Bruce didn’t seem to hear him, attention focused elsewhere. Tim followed his eyes to see Talia. She had gathered Damian and his brother to her, clutching them tightly and burying her face in Damian’s hair. Nevermind the fact that she had to bend practically in half to do it. It was a very touching family scene, but all Tim could think of was if his parents had ever held them like that. 

He didn’t think so.

~~*~~

Damian squirmed uncomfortably in his mother’s tight grip, but really only did it for show. Truth be told, he missed her too.

“You’re okay, right?”

“Yes, umi, I’m fine.”

Her sharp eyes landed on Jason next, fixing on the spreading red stain on his side.

“Jason?”

“All good, T. No worries. Re-Ro-Batman’s… _friend_ told us something about Nyssa being injured?”

Talia frowned, clearly not buying Jason’s assurances. “Go get that looked at.”

“Not until we weed out all of Ra’s followers. I’m not exactly in the mood to be poisoned right now.”

“Jason--”

“S’alright, T. I’ve had worse.”

Talia grimaced and glared, but seeing as how she was still holding on to him and Damian, Jason didn’t take it too seriously. 

“Talia? Can you explain… this?” Dick’s tone was wearily confused, and Jason quickly buried his head in Talia’s shoulder. The last thing he needed was to be recognized, and it wasn’t exactly like he had a mask on right now. He might have grown and changed a lot in the years he had been with the league, but Bruce had quite literally raised him for six years. If he didn’t recognize Jason, then there truly was nothing for Jason to return home to.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go back to the Manor. He did, really and truly. But they had moved on, had created a new family, and Jason wasn’t a part of that. Nyssa said he was being a dramatic idiot, but she just didn’t understand. They were happy, and like hell was Jason going to mess with that.

Talia shifted uncomfortably under Jason, and he was again reminded of the present. His head felt kind of fuzzy, and his side ached. 

“Talia? Who is that?”

“My eldest son. Bruce, now is not the time. We need to get the rest of this rebellion cleaned up and finished. After that is finished, you may interrogate me all you like.” Talia sounded downright cross, and Jason pitied Bruce. Having Talia mad at you could be downright terrifying. 

“Richard. Do you know where my sister is?”

“Last I was aware, she was over that way.” Jason didn’t see where Dick pointed, and he refused to look up.

“Hey, Dami. Want to come with me? I’m sure there’s a lot your mom and dad need to talk about.”

Jason felt Damian shift at his side, turning to look at Dick.

“I will stay with umi and Ja--my brother. Anything Father has to say, he can say in front of all of us.”

Dick sighed exasperatedly, before Jason heard his footsteps leading away from them. A second pair followed him--Tim? By his count, that left only Bruce lurking behind them.

True to form, the man waited for Talia to speak first, no doubt drawing himself up to look as imposing as possible while dressed as a bat.

“Beloved. What is it you wish to know? Ask your questions quickly.”

“Who is that? And why did you not tell us you had a second son?”

Talia pulled Jason even tighter against herself. “It never came up.”

“Talia. Who is he?” His voice dropped impossibly lower, and his tone grated harshly against Jason’s ears. 

“He is my son. That is all you need to know.”

“He’s not… _mine_ , is he?” A note of uncertainty echoed in Bruce’s tone, and Jason stiffened instinctively. Talia didn’t answer, just straightened up. 

“ _Talia_. Who is he?”

Talia turned to walk away, keeping Jason’s head pressed firmly against her shoulder. 

She got about a few steps forward before a rustle of fabric halted her in her steps. 

“ _Is he mine?!_ ”

“I don’t know, beloved, why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Jason froze up. Immediately, he understood what Talia was asking. He had the opportunity to go back to the Manor, with Bruce and Dick and Tim and possibly Damian. To Alfred. To do… he wasn’t even sure.

Or he could stay. Stay with the League, with Talia, with his mother. With his aunt. He could train to lead the League--it wouldn’t be too difficult, particularly with his past training with the All Caste. He could have a definite future, with his family and a strong organization at his back.

It was an open and shut decision, really, and he lifted his head from Talia’s shoulder to look her in the eyes. Deliberately, he kept his back to Bruce as he prepared himself to decide his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (シ_ _)シ
> 
> _I feel like this fell kinda short. But I'm tired. So take your update as-is. If I decide to change it I'll screw around with it later._


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (^_−)☆

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WAS OFF THE INTERNET FOR A WEEK OKAY!!! I HAVE A VALID EXCUSE!!
> 
> I was gonna post yesterday but I was depressed. Little better now, though, and I feel bad about keeping y'all waiting. So. It's really short (I was at a week long horse camp, and I didn't exactly get a ton of time to write) and unedited. So bear with me. Only a few more chapters left, anyways.

It was an open and shut decision, really, and he lifted his head from Talia’s shoulder to look her in the eyes. Deliberately, he kept his back to Bruce as he prepared himself to make his choice.

Slowly, Jason turned to face Bruce squarely. He met his father’s eyes, lifting his head proudly despite feeling like he was about to pass out any moment now. 

He watched as several different emotions crossed his face--confusion, shock, astonishment, grief, denial, rage, settling on confusion.

“Talia? Who is this?”

His mother watched his father calmly. “I think you know, Beloved.”

As composed as she tried to look, Jason could see the pain and sorrow she was trying to hide. He wanted to assure her, but he couldn’t seem to make his body follow through on his thoughts. She’ll see soon enough.

“No.” Bruce stared between Jason and Talia frantically. “ _No._ Talia, Jason is _dead._ My son is killed. I don’t know who this is, but it isn’t my _son_.”

Jason hesitated, staring blankly at Bruce. _I wasn’t your son,_ he wanted to say. _If you loved me so much, why was I replaceable?_

His tongue felt like cotton, though, so he just watched his father break down in front of him. Talia gently removed her hand from his shoulder, and Jason felt like his entire world had narrowed down to two people.

No matter what he chose, life was never going to go back to what it was before. Even if Bruce didn’t believe he was Jason, Talia was going to be the Demon’s Head now. Jason was going to have new expectations and new responsibilities whichever way he went.

Bruce was staring only at Jason now, desperately with a strong overshadow of grief. 

“You can’t be Jason.”

Jason watched him quietly. “No. I don’t think I am.” His voice was strong and confident, in complete contrast to the way he felt. “You’re thinking of someone else, I think.”

“Who are you?” Bruce sounded hollow. Empty. Or maybe that was just Jason's imagination.

“I am Jason Head, next in line for the Demon’s Head. Talia’s first son; second trainee of the Bat. Like I said. I am someone else.”

He didn’t look to see Bruce’s expression again. It didn’t matter now. Jason had chosen his path, and there was no looking back.

Dimly, he registered Bruce shouting at Talia. They had stopped paying attention to him now, and Jason was grateful for it as he sank down onto his knees. His vision was fuzzy around the edges, and he could only hope Talia won whatever screwed-up ‘custody battle’ was going on now.

Jason was just going to sleep now. That sounded good.

~~*~~ 

Nyssa was barely in time to catch her nephew before he crumpled to the ground again. 

“What the hell, kid?” She whispered to herself when she glimpsed her palm that had been pressed against his side. It was stained a bright red.

“Great. Just amazing. If her kid dies while I’m holding him, Talia will have my head. You know what, scratch that. Both the Demon’s Head _and_ the Bat will have my head.”

After several minutes of wrangling with Jason’s long, gangly limbs, Nyssa was able to pick him up. She was strong, yes, but a six-foot-something unconscious teenager wasn’t exactly something you could just swing around. 

Technically, she shouldn’t even have to be doing this. But seeing as how the kid’s two _actual_ parents seemed a little more concerned with who the kid was going home with, it fell to her to make sure the boy didn’t actually die. _Again._

~~*~~

“Talia. I think you need to explain yourself.” Bruce didn’t raise his voice. He barely had any inflection in it whatsoever.

“What is there to explain, beloved? I heard of a comatose boy in Gotham, who fought like a Bat and was still able to defend himself. Naturally, I grew curious. Turns out your lost little bird didn’t stay lost forever. Who would’ve thought, right?” Talia taunted him. Because Jason chose her, chose Talia over Batman, and the rejection was most definitely not lost on Bruce. 

“You’re lying.” Bruce was growling now, and Talia relished in the fact that she had such a profound effect on him with just a few words. She could still twist him around her little finger if she wanted to.

She just wasn’t sure if she wanted to anymore.

Slowly, she lost her fight. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from her ex without a word.

“Talia! _Talia!_ Explain yourself!”

Talia didn’t look back. She had won. She didn’t need a screaming match to prove it, nor was she particularly interested in contesting her claim with Bruce. 

So she let the man scream at her retreating back as she went to find her sons (because this seemed to be a recurring theme in her life now apparently).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Did I mention short?
> 
> If any of you are thinking, _wow, horses really take up a lot of your life!_ , then yes. You are absolutely correct. If you want free time don't do anything with animals. 
> 
> Also, yes, the Jason and Nyssa thing is happening. I realized I needed this published first so there wasn't any spoilers (you almost got it scheduled to release last week. Lucky for you no-spoilers gang, I connected the dots just in time. You're welcome :P)
> 
> Oh, forgot to mention this last update. I'm posting everything pertaining to this story to the rhr tag on my blog, which will include updating delays and times! (That would have been useful information last week but I'm a *little* scatterbrained. Just a little.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...long time no see?

The world seemed at once distant and too close. Damian watched as his mother walked away from his father, a note of finality in her step. 

Without having to be told, Damian knew there was a choice he had to make. His entire life hung on the balance here. He could go with his mother, and learn to be a ruthless member of the League of Assassins. 

Or he could leave with his father, and learn non-lethal tactics to defend his own city. 

He could be a nightmare to his family’s enemies or inspiration to the world. 

He could stick with the life he’d always known or the new life he’d just learned. 

The family he’d known all his life or the family he’d just discovered. 

“Dami?”

Grayson was standing to Damian’s left, holding out a hand expectantly. Damian looked at his new older brother, finding no doubts in the older man’s face. He fully expected Damian to just leave his mother--no questions asked. 

Maybe, though, Damian didn’t have to choose. He wasn’t his mother, but he wasn’t his father either. He could walk a line between them. He could be his own person--he _could._

“Damian! Come on. We need to go.” Talia’s voice rang out around the courtyard, and Damian didn’t hesitate before turning to follow her. 

He could be his own person. But he was wise enough now to know that he did not, indeed, know everything. Besides, one could keep both sides of a family, right? 

He could worry about his family problems later. Right now, he had to find where his pigheaded older brother was. 

~~*~~

If Nyssa never carried another teenager again in her life it would be too soon. Jason was awake by the time they reached the hospital room, but he was far too out of it to be any real help to her. Had the hospital been any farther, Jason would have found himself dragged behind her by the ankles. Damn what Talia would say; pain built _character._ Kinda.

The medics rushed out the second they saw Nyssa struggling with all of Jason’s extra limbs, they rushed out with a stretcher. She took the opportunity to pop her spine back into place, because what the hell was Talia feeding that kid?

Jason’s wound was stitched up in record time, medics fluttering about the room like bees in a hive. _Perks of being an al Ghul._ Nyssa figured. Still, she would take it. 

Not five minutes after Jason was left alone did a little boy come hurtling into the room, blood streaking his face and clothes. He made a beeline to Jason’s bedside, and Nyssa assumed that it must be Damian.

Jason seemed to be a little more coherent now that he wasn’t losing blood so much, and was receiving a transfusion at the moment, too. He turned his head and seemed to be muttering to Damian. 

“Thanks for getting him here, Nyss.”

Nyssa didn’t need to look to know that Talia was standing just behind her shoulder, somehow managing to look concerned and grateful at the same time. It was the same look she had perfected when they were kids, and she was trying to convince Nyssa to take the fall for something she did. This was much better context, really. 

“Anytime, Tals. I’m drawing the line at lugging your son anywhere else, though.”

Talia took a deep breath, an alarming indication that the thing she wanted to discuss was serious.

“Actually, about Jason…”

“Yes? Talia, spit it out.”

“I’d like you to mentor him. You think alike; you fight alike. If Jason is to be the Demon’s Head someday, I’d like for him to have some more training. Even past the All Caste.”

“And Damian?”

“Damian will not go purposeless. I think, however, that he will also find the path best suited for him, just as his brother has. Jason likes to protect the helpless, and someday he will have the entire League at his disposal. Damian will find his way, and when he does, we will be there to help him.”

Nyssa turned to face Talia completely. Talia wasn’t looking at her, though; her gaze was fixed on the two boys in the infirmary.

“And if he should choose to be a vigilante like his father?”

“Then he shall have our support just as Jason does.”

Nyssa nodded in agreement as she turned back to watch the two. Problems would doubtlessly present themselves, but they were a family. They could face them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should have a witty quip here but uh. Nope.

**Author's Note:**

> There's no such thing as enough content with mom!Talia. 
> 
> Also, this will probably end up with around 16+ chapters. I'll post every Wednesday-most of it is written already anyways. I'll post small snippets of upcoming chapters on my Tumblr, if anyone's interested. I'm Reah22 there as well. See you all next Wednesday!


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